740.00119 E.W./11–245: Telegram
Mr. Alexander C. Kirk, Political Adviser to the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater, to the Secretary of State
[Received November 2—8:35 a.m.]
4014. Reference our 4013, November 1. British Chiefs of Staff have informed Field Marshal Wilson in Washington that they fully support SACMED’s (Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean) position that Italian armistice terms should not be published until General Morgan’s commentary is approved and released for simultaneous publication.
Hope was expressed by British Chiefs of Staff that Department would not release armistice terms without this commentary as it would be most unfortunate from point of view of British credit with Italians if armistice terms were published by Americans alone. It was stated that entire point of publication of terms and commentary simultaneously is to show to what great extent terms have already been changed and publication without commentary or on anything but Allied basis would be deprecated. Field Marshal Wilson is then instructed to obtain confirmation that there will be no publication of terms until receipt of commentary from AFHQ (Allied Force Headquarters). [Page 1080] It was further stated that Foreign Office agreed with this position.